David Cameron has a real problem with women. Not just a few women either, those struggling on the benefits slashed by his coalition government, say, or the relatively affluent stay-at-home mothers who have lost child benefit. According to a poll released this weekend, support for the prime minister has fallen among young, old, rich and poor women.

Three years ago, 36% of women may have backed the Tories, compared to 31% for Labour, yet Cameron appears to have become the very essence of an all-male political elite. "I don't think he understands any issues relating to normal (not super-rich) people, let alone women," said one respondent. Cameron was deemed the most "out of touch" out of all three of the main party leaders.

Even the wealthiest women in top-level professional and executive roles were less likely than men in similar circumstances to vote Tory. And among younger women – aged 18-34 – the gap widens to a significant 25-point lead for Labour.

This poll shows that all Cameron's efforts – lacklustre though they may be – to improve his standing among women, have come to nowt. He appointed an adviser on women's issues, Laura Trott, and then gave her education and childcare to look after as well, suggesting that all women are mothers. Recent announcements on the sexualisation of children or safety on the internet is seen as a direct attempt to attract the "Mumsnet voters" who were so important at the last election.

David Cameron speaks to women during a visit to a mosque in Manchester. Photograph: WPA Pool/Getty Images

Yet, this latest poll at the start of party conference season provides little cheer for his main rivals for the job. Women appear to be supporting Labour despite, not because of, its leader. Even with all the misgivings, 43% of respondents said they were more likely to "like" David Cameron than Ed Miliband (just 34%) and 36% thought him more capable compared with the Labour leader.

As far as women saying that they "like" politicians they would not vote for and consider out of touch – I'd need time to recover from that before giving a verdict.

But this poll does show two things: politicians are even more unpopular than their parties and women will be a key battleground in the 2015 election.

With no more than half of women believing that any of the three main party leaders are interested in the concerns and opinions of women, all is left to play for. Cameron and his party are simply the most high-profile examples of a disenchantment with the whole political process. And that's the real problem.

• This article was amended on 18 September 2013. The original version referred to the YouGov poll for Mumsnet. This has been corrected to Ipsos Mori

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